Countdown to lift-off
Below are your first steps to help you get your tea party off the ground.
Save the date
Do you have a date in mind? Try and avoid any big sporting or social events so you can have as many guests as possible. If you want to recruit a helper or two, send them a save the date message to make sure they can come before you confirm anything else.
Pick a location
Where would you like to hold your tea party? Think about the number of guests you’d like to invite, possible weather scenarios and the facilities you’ll need to prepare your tea and goodies.
Choose a theme
Let your guests know the good their donations will do. You can print out some of our ‘The power of your pounds’ posters from this pack and put them on display at your tea party. Would you like another theme for your tea party, alongside the amazing work your guests will be helping London’s Air Ambulance Charity do? How about a teddy bear’s picnic if you are inviting younger guests? Or you could choose to theme your party around a birthday, a garden party, a summer fiesta, etc.
What to serve
Cakes, sandwiches, snacks, tea, soft drinks – the options are endless! Homemade or shop-bought? BYO or treats provided? If you have a health conscious audience how about a guilt free tea party replacing white bread and scones for tasty wholemeal, bran or fruit muffins. You can slip fruit, veggies and dips in amongst all the cakes and biscuits.
No license is currently needed to sell food at a one-off event however all food distributed or sold will need to comply with the Food Safety Act so please use common sense and prepare and store food in a safe and hygienic manner. Label the food to be on the safe side. People may be allergic to an ingredient. The Food Standards Agency has some good advice on selling food, for details please visit food.gov.uk.
Who to invite
Working out numbers will help you decide on your venue. Make a list of people you’d like to invite, then work out how you will contact them.
Spread the word
Use the invitations in this pack to send to your nearest and dearest. If you are making your event a public one, use the posters to help you get the word out. There’s also a template press release in this pack so you can approach your local paper or news outlet. If you want to promote your tea party through social media, you’ll find some handy materials in this pack.